The manager of a GP surgery in Wales has been sentenced to two years in prison after admitting falsifying prescriptions.
The court heard that Philip Hunt, 50, of Coburg Villa, Ferryside, South Wales, printed out prescriptions to feed his wife’s addiction to painkillers.
Hunt used his position as manager of The Dderwendeg Medical Centre, in Trimsaran, West Wales, to pass the prescription among other legitimate forms to a GP for an authorisation signature.
Carl Harrison, prosecuting at Swansea Crown Court said Hunt deleted the transaction from the surgery’s computer so that no record of it existed.
Mrs Hunt already received a legitimate prescription for painkillers from the surgery, where she was a patient, but this was not enough to feed her addiction.
Hunt admitted five counts of possessing a Class B drug with intent and 11 counts of making a false instrument over a 12-month period from January to December 2006.
Graham Dainty, NHS Counter Fraud’s operational fraud manager for Wales, said: “It sends a strong signal to anybody who thinks they can misuse NHS drugs and get away with it.”
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